Coupler for glass supporting tables



May 29, 1934. J c G|PE Y 1,960,581

COUPLER FOR GLASS SUPPORTING TABLES Filed June 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 29, 1934. J Q G|PE COUPLER FOR GLASS SUPPORTING TABLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 do/vn C. Gv oe r flaw Ana Filed June 28. 1929 A Q ww R \N /H x 3m mm Pm N Ma om ww hm l\\ MN MN 0N Q\/\ Q M JV U A WW /\Q\ Patented May 29, 1934 UNHTED STATES COUPLER FOR GLASS SUPPORTING TABLES John C. Gipe, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Libbey- Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 28, 1929, Serial No. 374,406

6 Claims. (Cl. 213--) This invention relates broadly to a coupler and more particularly to a novel car or table coupler primarily designed for use in the so-called continuous system for surfacing sheet glass although its use is not necessarily restricted thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved type of coupling means by which a plurality of cars or tables may be detachably secured together in a manner to form a substantially solid surface so that sheets of glass or the like may be carried thereupon successively beneath a series of grinding units and then beneath a series of polishing units.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means associated with the coupler for operating the same whereby to effect the coupling or uncoupling of the cars or tables automatically upon movement thereof in a predetermined direction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings forming a part of this appli cation and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a series of cars or tables with which the coupling means provided by the present invention is adapted to be associated and in which view is disclosed the means for efiecting automatic uncoupling of the tables.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the tables with the coupling means partially in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the adjacent ends of two adjoining tables showing the improved coupling means associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the means for effecting automatic coupling of the tables, and

Fig. 5 is an end view thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a plurality of cars or tables 10 having rigid beds upon the upper surfaces of which may be secured, by means of a layer of plaster of Paris or some other suitable cement 11, a series of glass sheets 12 to be surfaced. The tables 10 are arranged end to end and when properly coupled together form a substantially solid surface upon which the glass sheets 12 are adapted to be carried first beneath a series of grinding units and then beneath a series of polishing units, not

shown. a

Each car or table is carried by a plurality of wheels 13 rolling along the tracks 14. In order 23 provided at its forward or outerend with a downturned hook 24 which may project outwardly beyond the table through an opening 25 in the adjacent depending end skirt 18. Threaded on the inner end of the bolt 23 is a nut 26 and one 70 circling the bolt between the nut 26 and rib 21 is a compression spring 27 acting to normally draw the hook member 24 inwardly and to yieldably maintain the meeting ends of adjacent tables in abutment with one another when said ta- 175 bles are properly coupled together as will be more clearly hereinafter apparent. Threaded upon the bolt 23 in advance of rib 21 is a nut 28 which functions to limit the inward movement of the bolt caused by the action of spring 27. 1 530 Carried by the table 10 adjacent the opposite end thereof is a transverse shaft 29 extending between and journaled in the depending skirts 19 at opposite sides of the table, said shaft being also .journaled intermediate its ends in the spaced de- -35 pending plates or ribs 30 and 31 located at opposite sides of the opening 32 formed in the adjacent end skirt 18 as shown in Fig. 2. Keyed to the shaft 29 eccentrically thereof is a disc 33 positioned between the spaced plates 30 and 31.

Loosely mounted upon this disc is a strap 34 carrying the hook member 35 including a shank 36 provided at its outer end with the upturned hook 37 adapted to interengage with the hook 24 upon coupling of the tables together. Arranged beneath the shank 36 of hook member 35 is a shaft 38 extending parallel with shaft 29 and journaled in the side skirts 19 of the table and also within the depending plates or ribs 30 and 31. The shaft 38 has eccentrically keyed thereto a disc 39 arranged between the plates 30and 31.

When the hooks 24 and 37 are interlocked with one another to hold the adjacent tables properly coupled together, the various parts of the coupling means above described assume the positions indicated by the full lines in Fig. 3, with the hook member 35 raised to a substantially horizontal position and the disc 39 in an elevated position to engage said hook member. When it is desired to drive the tables, rack bars 15 may. be secured to uncouple the tables, the shaft 38 is first rotated in a clockwise direction to move the disc 39 keyed thereto approximately a quarter of a revolution and thus lower it with respect to the hook member 35, this movement of the disc bringing it to the broken line position indicated a. Substantially simultaneously with or just after the movement of disc 39, the shaft 29 is rotated in a clockwise direction to rotate the disc 33 carried thereby approximately a quarter of a revolution to move the hook 3'7 forwardly and downwardly with respect to stationary hook 24. When so moved, the movable hook 37 will take the broken line position indicated by the letter A and will again rest upon disc 39. The disc 39 is then again rotated in a clockwise direction approximately a quarter of a revolution to bring it to the position indicated 12, and the disc 33 is then also rotated to permit the hook 3'7 to lower to the position indicated by the letter B where it will rest upon disc 39. By gradually lowering the hook member 35 in the manner above described and in supporting it between each lowering movement upon disc 39, the distance through which the hook member falls during its lowering movements will be relatively small and thus the said hook member will be prevented from falling downwardly too great a distance and with too great a force which might prove harmful thereto and to the table. When the tables are properly coupled together, the compression spring 2'7 will function to hold their adjacent ends firmly pressed together. The tension on the hooks can be of any pressure desired by using compression springs of different sizes and by tightening up the nut 26, thereby requiring greater pressure to compress the spring 27.

-is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the disc to its position (1, thereby lifting the hook 37 to its position A. After the hook has been thus raised, the shaft 29 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to move the disc 33 to its raised "position as indicated bythe heavy broken lines in Fig. 3. The shaft 38 is then again rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to bring the disc 39 to its uppermost position as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 3 and thus to raise the hook 3'7 into engagement with book 24. The shaft 29 is then again rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to move the disc 33 rearwardly to its full line position, andupon movement of the disc in this manner, the hook 37 will be drawn inwardly and into .positive firm engagement with hook 24.

- According to the present invention, means is provided for effecting the coupling and uncoupling of the tables as above described automatically and upon movement of said tables in a predetermined direction. With this end in View, the two shafts 29 and 38 are extended beyond the tables 10 at one side thereof and carry upon their projecting end portions the operating wheels 40 and 41 respectively, each comprising a plurality of actuating fingers. Mounted adjacent the tables 10' and in the path of travel of the wheels 40 and 41 are the two pairs of spaced vertical uprights 42, 43 and 44, 45, the two pairs of uprights being positioned relatively close to one another. The uprights 42 and 44 are somewhat taller. than and positioned outwardly of the up- .rights 43 and 45, the former uprights being adapted to actuate wheel 40 while the latter uprights movement.

are provided to actuate wheel 41. Assuming that the tables are properly coupled together and it is desired to uncouple the same, the tables 10 are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. When the wheel 41 engages upright 42, it will be rotated a quarter of a revolution in a clockwise direction to rotate shaft 38 and lower disc 39 to its position a. Simultaneously or substantially simultaneously, the wheel 40 is adapted to engage upright 42 and is also rotated thereby a quarter of a revolution in a clockwise direction to rotate shaft 29 and lower hook 37 to position A. Upon continued movement of the tables, the wheels 40 and 41 will engage uprights 44 and 45 respectively and will be rotated a quarter of a revolution thereby which will bring the disc 39 to its position b and the hook 37 to its position B.

In order to automatically couple the tables, it is of course necessary that the wheels 40, 41 be rotated in the opposite direction so as to rotate shafts 29 and 38 in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the hook 37 and disc 39. For this purpose, there may be provided at a desired point in the path of travel of the tables the two pairs of spaced uprights 46, 47 and 48, 49 illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In this instance, the uprights 46 and 48 are provided at their upper ends with the inturned portions 50 adapted to engage the wheel 40 above shaft 29 and to rotate said wheel and shaft in a counter-clockwise direction while uprights 47 and 49 are provided with inwardly directed portions 51 engaging wheel 41 above shaft 38 to rotate said wheel and shaft in a counterclockwise direction. Thus, upon movement of the tables past the uprights 46 to 49, the wheel 41 engaging upright 47 will be rotated a quarter of a revolution in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the disc 39 to its position a, and thereby raise the hook 37 to its position A. Substantially simultaneously, the wheel 40 Will engage upright 46 and be rotated thereby a quarter of a revolution in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the disc 33 to its heavy broken line position indicated in Fig. 3. Upon continued movement of the tables, the wheel 41 engaging upright 49 will again be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to raise disc 39 to its full line position indicated in Fig. 3 and thus raise hook 37 into engagement with hook 24. Substantially simultaneously, the switch 40 will again be rotated by engagement .125 with upright 48 so that the disc 33 will be returned to its full line position indicated in Fig.

3 to draw the hook 3'7 inwardly and into firm locking engagement with hook 24.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or 5 the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, eccentric means upon which the movable hook member is mounted, means operated by the movement of the table for actuating said eccentric means to move the movable hook member forwardly and permit it to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with the first mentioned hook member, and means for supporting the movable hook member intermediate its ends during its forward and downward 2. In a table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, eccentric means upon which the movable hook member is mounted, means operated by the movement of the table for actuating said eccentric means to move the movable hook membez? forwardly and permit it to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with the first mentioned hook member, and movable means also operated by the movement of the table for supporting the movable hook member intermediate its ends during its forward and downward movement.

3. In a car or table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, eccentric means for actuating the movable hook member to move it forwardly and permit it to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with the first mentioned hook member, and means for supporting the movable hook member intermediate its ends during its forward and downward movement.

4. In a car or table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, eccentric means upon which the movable hook member is mounted and by means of which said hook member is moved forwardly and permitted to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with the first mentioned hook member, and rotatable means mounted beneath the movable hook member for supporting the same intermediate its ends during its forward and downward movements.

5. In a car or table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, means for effecting forward movement of the movable hook member by a series of intermittent operations whereby to permit it to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with the first mentioned hook member, and rotatable means for supporting the movable hook member intermediate its ends during the forward and downward movements thereof.

6. In a car or table coupler, the combination of a downwardly opening hook member, a movable hook member adapted for engagement with said first mentioned hook member, eccentric means upon which the movable hook member is mounted, means for actuating said eccentric means to intermittently move said movable hook member forwardly whereby to permit it to drop downwardly by gravity out of engagement with said first mentioned hook member, and eccentric means for supporting the movable hook member intermediate its ends during its intermittent movements.

JOHN C. GIPE. 

